title: Consumers' attitude towards the use and safety of herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements in Serbia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements in Serbia is very common and many patients consume herbal preparations with conventional drug therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this survey was to evaluate the consumers' awareness of herbal remedies and the safety of herbal dietary supplements, their attitude towards combining herbals and drugs, and the source of recommendations for their use.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included all consumers who bought herbal remedies and herbal dietary supplements in 15 pharmacies on the territory of Novi Sad during 2011 and who accepted to be interviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured interviews using questionnaire, conducted by pharmacists. The questionnaire included 4 parts: socio-demographic characteristics of consumers, source of recommendations for the use of herbal products, attitude towards safety of herbal remedies and herbal dietary supplements use and their combination with regular drugs, as well as the question of purchased herbal products.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consumers' attitude towards the safety and use of herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements measured by 9 items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of interviewed participants were highly educated, aged 41-60 and they consumed herbal remedies on their own initiative or on recommendation of nonmedically educated person, without previous consultation with medical doctor or pharmacist. Out of all participants: 88.9 % did not consider it important to inform their physician or pharmacist about use of herbal remedies and herbal dietary supplements; 73.3 % found the use of herbal remedies harmless (where 9.4 % did not have any attitude towards that issue), while 40.3 % of participants regarded the combining of herbal and regular drugs unsafe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for consumers' education on reliable use of herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements, in order to improve their awareness of the limits of herbal remedies safety and potential risks of their combination with drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 3, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia, isidoras2011@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Isidora
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Samojlik
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mijatović
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gavarić
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krstin
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Božin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D018565:Food-Drug Interactions; D041743:Herb-Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012648:Self Care / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055771:Serbia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations